MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company has announced that it is extending its MSC Carbon Neutral Programme to the rest of the world during 2020.
The Swiss-based carrier has partnered with global climate solutions provider South Pole since early 2019 to jointly develop the programme and, after successful implementation in selected countries, are now promoting it to clients worldwide.
As part of the Carbon Neutral Programme, MSC customers can compensate for the emissions from the transportation of their cargo by financially contributing to two selected projects that reduce emissions. South Pole cancels the same amount of carbon credits generated by these projects, which are audited and third-party certified according to the most stringent international standards, the Verified Carbon Standard (Verra), the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standards and the Social Carbon.
According to MSC, compensation for emissions offered as part of the MSC Carbon Neutral Programme “follows a rigorous process”.
Each shipment has its carbon footprint measured and certified by South Pole with the corresponding carbon credits from the two selected programmes are permanently cancelled on behalf of MSC customers in the Verra Registry, a trusted emissions registry run by Verra (former VCS) – an internationally recognised, third-party verification standard.
These carbon credits are assigned serial numbers in the publicly accessible registry ensuring no double counting of claims.
“We have partnered with South Pole to help bridge the gap between shipping today and the zero-carbon future we all aspire to,” says Claudio Bozzo, MSC chief operating officer.
MSC claims the programme complements its strategic approach to sustainability and massive investment in reducing emissions across its fleet.
MSC has recently launched the largest class of container ships which produce the lowest CO2 emissions per container carried by design – MSC’s Gülsün Class. Furthermore, MSC is actively exploring and trialling a range of alternative fuels and propulsion technologies to support the container shipping industry’s long-term goals to decarbonise, according to a statement.
The world’s second-largest shipping company was the first major line in 2019 to offer an option to fully compensate the unavoidable carbon emissions caused by the transport of their cargo through supporting climate protection projects managed by South Pole.
